Dinner’s Ready

Did your mother ever tell you not to be late for dinner? Have you ever been told that by a restaurant?

I’d like to share an experience that happened to me last night. Penny and I decided to take a friend to dinner for her birthday, and the birthday girl requested that we visit Burt’s Place, located in a nearby suburb.

When calling to find out their business hours, we discovered that to make a reservation, the caller must place an order. That is a solid way to turn over the tables, but it was an unusual requirement to us.

We were told that the only available time was 5:30. Pretty early, but we took the reservation. Then we were told to be there on time because the pizza would be set on the table at precisely 5:30. Wow. Pay for dinner and if you arrive late, you get to eat it cold. This is a business that appears to be so successful that they can, and do, get away with treating their customers harshly.

A genuine Burt's Place pan pizza

Well, not enjoying room temperature pizza, we arrived on time. True to their word, dinner was served at 5:30. The next surprise came when the pizza was set on a nearby table, with a bunch of other pizzas. The waitress gave us each a slice and we were notified that we were not permitted to get up and take another slice. Instead, the waitress had to be summoned to cut and serve.

Most amazing!

Bottom line, decent pizza, but not nearly as good as advertised. It was, however, a unique place to have a meal. I do not think I will exercise my option to return.